Arthur, it's a 2 sided coin. The strength of a large group allows them to do things that we would like to imitate but cannot. They offer 2 programs each evening, one for beginners and one for the more advanced growers. When we have a speaker talking about Draculas, Masdies and Pleuros, I gringe as I know that 90% of our members cannot grow these things. Other than general interest, a talk like that has no practical value. The raffle plants carted home by people have a low survival rate. The San Diego society has a subgroup of species enthusiasts who meet separately. As many as 30 experienced species growers create a stimulating experience. San Diego has the only huge group I am aware off, I suspect most other metropolitan areas follow the LA pattern of several smaller groups. When the large society puts on a show it's a thing of beauty, our shows are nice but amateurish in comparison. I like our intimate medium sized society but I also see the benefits of a strong group. I guess you cannot have both. In my immediate area, 4 societies are spending 4 speaker fees every month. If that could be combined we could afford to go beyond the local talent and import notables from further away. If we could cooperate to the extent were we would rearrange our meetings to be back to back, that would also help but even that is not possible. Each group's specific night is set in granite as they have met that particular evening for 30 years. Nick

A storm on Monday blew rain into the storm cellar... which hadn't been swept out for a very long time. so today's compost feast included what we scraped out of the cellar, a muddy mixture of grass clippings, old dust, & something that smelled like a ripe cow barn. Also, of course, the usual: coffee grounds & filters, tea bags, plate scrapings, paper napkins, torn-up newspaper... & some droopy cut flowers left over from Easter, along with the greenish water from the vases.

Thanks Everyone, I will tally the votes and send them to the A.H.G.A. tomorrow.It was a close race...(not!) but I think Liberty is going to emerge as our winner! I will let everyone know when the winner is decided. I appreciate your help and input. DEnny

Denny, I'm curious as to how this list was created? Are these the ONLY plants being nominated for 2012? It seems like a bit of an odd group of plants to me. Yes, there are some good ones there, but I can think of quite a few others that I would have put on a preliminary listing. Also, I don't personally think a patented plant should be Hosta of the Year (I won't go into my reasons here as it is already a bit of a volatile thread). Here are my opinions on the plants listed here, and the 3 I would pick. Aardvark - I'm not familiar with this one, have never seen it for sale nor seen it in a garden. To me it doesn't come close to passing the "10 foot rule", so I probably wouldn't add it to my own collection. Alex Summers - A fantastic plant and one of my favorites. I think it grows well for just about everyone. Does it really sell for around $15 now? Atlantis - I would rule this one out as it is a patented plant. Blue Hawaii - Another great plant, though I'm not sure how well it would grow or perform in the South. Any data there? Blue Mammoth - Too cheap, too old, too common. Cameo - Cute, pretty good grower, but some people have trouble with the minis and some might have trouble tending to this one. Deep Blue Sea - Yet another nice plant that I recommend. Again, I think the price is less than $15 these days. Fantasy Island - For a small, white centered plant it grows very well, and I love the flowers and scapes on this one as well. Does it grow well all over the country? Maybe. Gentle Giant - Again, I'm not at all familiar with this one. From the info I've gathered this is probably not anything all that unique from many other plants. Ginsu Knife - A good grower with good edges, but probably not for everyone. I grow this one really well, but have a hard time selling it for some reason. Should it be in everyone's collection? I'm not really sure... Guardian Angel - A great plant in the North, but doesn't have the same attraction in the South. Because of this extreme regional variation I would rule this one out immediately. Indigo - Yet another I'm unfamiliar with. It looks like a nice blue, though I think there are other blue plants with even more to offer. Journey's End - A great plant, but I would rule it out once again because it is patented. Leading Lady - A nice older plant. I grew and sold this one years ago but it was a slow seller, even with very mature plants. It is nice, but not particularly a standout until it is very, very mature. Then, it almost looks like Sagae, which is already a HOTY. Liberty - Yet another patented plant. Mango Tango - Patented, and has it really proven garden worthy and reliable in all regions? Give this one some more time. Marilyn Monroe - Now here is a blue plant with some character. Love the foliage, ripples, and flowers. Millennium - A great growing plant with some nice architecture. Might be too large for some people, too plain for others, but I do recommend this one. Nate The Great - How did this one get on this list? I've not grown it, doesn't really look like something I would need. Orange Marmalade - A patented plant, and it doesn't grow that well for everyone, including myself. Pandora's Box - See my notes on Cameo. Not for everyone, and doesn't always grow well for everyone. Rainforest Sunrise - Very nice plant that I do recommend highly. Stitch In Time - Patented. An interesting collectors item, but not the best garden plant. This one is definitely not for everyone, and is way too expensive to be the HOTY. Sum Of All - Not bad, though I like Winter Snow better as one of the better Sum and Substance sports. Titanic - Patented plant, and essentially the exact same sport as Sum of All. Touch Of Class - A fantastic plant, though it is patented. Victory - A nice big, architectural plant, though I'm not sure it is for everyone. War Paint - Pretty in the spring but only holds its color in some climates. Here in Michigan I am lucky if the light colored center lasts 2 weeks, let alone a few days after it emerges. Because of this vast regional difference I would not include it. Whirlwind - This one is already quite common so I would probably rule it out for that reason. After ruling out many plants on this list I come up with 6 candidates: Alex Summers Blue Hawaii Deep Blue Sea Fantasy Island Marilyn Monroe Rainforest Sunrise Well, from those my absolute favorites are Alex Summers, Fantasy Island, Marilyn Monroe, and Rainforest Sunrise. Looking back at the previous winners of the HOTY there are too many yellow with a green margin plants, so I would take out Rainforest Sunrise for now, for that reason. That leaves me with these three: Alex Summers Fantasy Island Marilyn Monroe Will be curious to see the final result! Chris